Operation Desert Moon

Operation Desert Moon (15 November 2004) was a US Marine Corps action during the Iraq War. The battle occurred when Marines sent to the city of Abdallah, Iraq to restore order after a suicide bombing were ambushed by Iraqi insurgents. The operation failed in the face of heavy insurgent resistance.

Operation
A civilian convoy passing through the Iraqi city of Abdallah went missing in an apparent suicide attack, forcing Coalition forces to dispatch a squad to the dangerous city's downtown area to rescue the missing civilians and restore order. The Marines entered the city and engaged the Iraqi insurgents responsible for the suicide attack there, fighting them in the streets and houses. The insurgents ambushed the marines at every turn, inflicting heavy losses on the Marines, although the Americans succeeded in capturing a few of the insurgent bases. In the end, the Americans were defeated, suffering too many losses to defeat the insurgents.